Matt's Hickey
by Squwerty
Summary: Matt's got a Hickey, so Linda and Near take it upon themselves to find out who gave it to him.
1. Chapter 1

Matt prodded the food on his plate. For once he wasn't wearing has normal clothes, he wore a dark grey hoddie, he looked up as he heard voices,

"… I'm not sure Near, I wouldn't have thought you'd care… let's ask Matt". Linda and Near then proceeded to sit with Matt. Near opposite him and Linda to his left, "Do you know where Mello is?" Linda asked turning to Matt, he stared at her and shook his head. He turned back to his food until Linda gasped, "What is that?" Linda smiled poking Matt's neck.

"It's nothing, get off" Matt said pushing her hand away, Linda pouted,

"I know it's not nothing, it's a hickey isn't it?" she teased,

"Piss off Linda" Matt said pulling up his hood to cover his neck,

"A hickey?" Near asked, Linda turned to him,

"A LoveBite" she replied, Near nodded

"A temporary red mark on a person's skin resulting from kissing or sucking by their lover" Matt scowled at him,

"Okay just 'cause you've memorised a dictionary doesn't mean you have to show off" he mumbled.

"LoveBite is in the dictionary?" Linda asked turning back to Near, He looked up and nodded. "Hmm, wow" she said thinking. She then put her attentions back to Matt, "So, who gave it to you?",As she asked, Matt stood from the table and left the canteen. She stared at him, "Okay, moody" she mumbled, she then scooted over to Matt's chair. "I bet it was that new girl" she said scanning the canteen. Near looked up,

"What gives you that idea?" he asked,

"Dunno, it's just since she turned up he changed, and plus, she kind of seems like his type" Linda replied absentmindedly, Near stared at her again,

"What? They both wear stripes, both good at Latin and Technology and they both spend unhealthy amounts of time in their rooms playing video games. They're practically perfect for each other!" she giggled,

"Don't opposites attract?" Near suddenly asked, Linda stared at him,

"Near who knows more about love out of us two?" she asked rhetorically, Near shrugged, "Leave it to me" Linda said scanning the canteen again…


	2. Chapter 2

The black haired girl sat on her own in the canteen, she held a book in her nose and her food was practically untouched. Suddenly the chair opposite scraped across the floor and Linda sat in it. The girl looked over the brim of her glasses and lowered her book. Linda smiled,

"Hi, I'm Linda" she said holding out a hand across the table. The girl looked at her hand and put down her book.

"Lucy" she replied not shaking her hand, Linda's smile dropped and so did her hand.

"So, Lucy, have you met everyone yet?" she said putting on another smile,

"No" Lucy replied,

"How about Matt? You met Matt?" Linda asked leaning on her hands.

"No, why?" she asked bringing her open book back to her face.

"You sure?" Linda asked,

"Yeah, I think I'd remember if I met some guy called Matt" Lucy said turning a page.

"Okay" Linda sighed and stood…

Linda landed in the chair opposite Near again, "It wasn't her" she said simply her bottom lip poking out.

"Told you it wouldn't be" Near said simply standing and picking up his tray,

"Hey, you don't get off so easily, I need your help" Linda said standing Near paused and sighed,

"Fine, so where do we start?" he asked. Linda smiled and caught up to him,

"His best friend" she smiled skipping off…


	3. Chapter 3

Linda knocked on the door and leaned on the door frame. She looked to Near, he shrugged so Linda pounded on the door again. They heard a crash behind the door and someone swear.

"Yes?" Mello asked pulling the door open, his duvet wrapped around his body. Linda stared into the room behind him, the chess table was knocked over, the papers from his desk were on the floor and the covers on his bed wear amuck. "What do you want Linda?" Mello asked leaning out of door.

"Can we come in" she smiled.

"No" Mello said blankly staring up at her. He was in a hunched position, and he even looked shorted than Near.

"Fine, we'll talk out here, I'll get straight to the point, do you know what's up with Matt?" Linda asked him. As soon as she said Matt, Mello stood up straight,

"What's wrong with Matt?" he asked, worry slipping through the words,

"He's moody, and he's being sneaky"

"Oh, that's normal" Mello said letting the previous comment roll off his shoulder.

"He's got a hickey Mello, I just thought, you're his best friend, you'd know who gave it to him". Mello straightened again. Sweat slowly built up on his brow.

"Erm, Matt's girlfriend" he paused and put his hand to the back of his neck.

"So, he has got a girl friend then?" Linda asked, eyes glistening,

"Yeah, you said he did" Mello replied looking behind him fleetingly,

"No, I didn't, I said he had a hickey" Linda smiled, she folded her arms,

"Well, I, don't know anything, now let me sleep" Mello said slamming the door.

"He's lying" Linda said staring down at Near,

"I know, Mello's hiding something too, he was worried, and since when did Mello go to bed early?" Near added,

"This is a lot bigger than we know, Near, but we'll get to the bottom of it"…


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Linda and Near approached the table Matt and Mello sat at, as they got close they heard them both laughing.

"What's so funny?" Linda asked sitting, Mello stared at her,

"Nothing" he replied. Linda rolled her eyes and then they fell onto Matt, he wore his baggy grey hoody again, with the hood over his head. She then swiftly pinched the back of the hood and pulled it down.

"Two more?" Linda then asked as she looked at the bruised skin on Matt's neck,

"It's none of your business" Matt replied pulling his hood back onto his head,

"Yeah, leave him alone" Mello scowled aiming a successful kick into Linda's shin,

"Oww!" she winced. "I just want to know who gave them to you, I wouldn't tell anyone" she whispered,

"I don't care, I don't want to be judged" he replied staring down at his food,

"Why would I…?" Linda started before Mello butted in,

"Matt, don't say another thing" Mello said balling his hands into fists.

"Right" Matt muttered,

"Come on Matt! You know me! We're mates, just tell me!" Linda complained,

"I don't have to if I don't want to" Mat grumbled prodding at his food. Mello looked at his plate, he sighed and slipped his hands under the table. Matt suddenly looked up at him and Mello nodded his head towards Matt's food, he got the message and started to eat small mouth full's of food.

"How can we be sure she's from Wammy's?" Near suddenly said out loud, breaking the silence.

"What?" Linda asked looking at him, as Mello kicked her again, just below the knee cap, _bad idea to sit opposite Mello…_

"Well, it's not the most obvious person here, his best friend _doesn't know_, even in a community as close as this, so one of the final options is that she's not from round here" he finished. Mello smiled darkly,

"Yes, well done, gold star for you" he laughed, Matt then sniggered under his hood,

"What?" Linda asked glaring at him,

"Nothing" Matt said suddenly angry, he stood quickly and the table leapt forward, he then turned and stormed off, Mello looked back to him,

"Well done" he said turning back,

"I didn't say anything!" Linda replied,

"You know Matt's sensitive, you should know that if your claiming to be his friend" Mello said standing, he then ran towards Matt, "Matt!" he called. Matt turned and let Mello catch u with him, they spoke for a moment until Matt smiled, Mello put his hand on his shoulder and laughed, they then left the canteen.

"Hmm" Linda wondered,

"What?" Near asked,

"I just got a horrible feeling we missed something"…


	5. Chapter 5

Mello and Matt walked to the door of Mello's room,

"I'm not feeling up to anything at the moment Mel's, d'you mind if I just catch some sleep in _my_ room?" Matt asked rubbing the back of his head,

"It's cos your not eating isn't it?" Mello asked,

"What?" Matt asked,

"I've seen you, you don't eat, I'm worried" Mello replied

"Listen Mello, just get off my back! Okay? I get enough from Linda and Near, I don't need this from you! I just need some sleep okay? I'm sorry" Matt said turning and leaving. Mello frowned,

"Matt" he whispered sadly…


	6. Chapter 6

"Okay Mello what d'you nee…?" Linda paused, Mello sat on the ground, as he looked up she saw his red eyes and tear stained cheeks, "What wrong?" she asked crouching by him,

"Nothing" he replied wiping his cheeks with his sleeve,

"Mello, I can help…"

"It's nothing, okay? Can we just get to the point of why I called you here?" Mello asked sniffing,

"Okay" she replied,

"It's about Matt, okay? I'm worried about him" he started,

"Cos he's keeping secrets from you?" Linda asked,

"No!" Mello said shaking his head, "It's not that, he's not keeping any secrets from me, it's… he's really thin, and pale, more pale than usual I mean, he's not eating, and he's stressed and worried, and at first it was fine… I mean he was opening up to me. You know? But now, he's just silent, there's nothing, he still trusts me, but he just doesn't want to…" Mello stopped,

"Doesn't want to what?" Linda asked,

"Nothing, I just, got a little carried away okay?" The silence was then cut by Near calling,

"Mello?"

"What!" he screamed back, Near then appeared at the head of the clearing,

"It's Matt, I went to talk to him and he's locked himself in" Near replied,

"Did you tell anyone else?" Mello asked standing,

"No, I thought it was a job for you" he said winking at Linda…


	7. Chapter 7

"Matt! It's me! Let me in!" Mello yelled banging on the door. There was no reply, "Linda?" He suddenly sighed,

"Yeah?" she replied,

"You got a hair pin?" he asked turning,

"Yeah, here" she said taking it from her hair and placing it in his hand. Mello then turned back to the door and jammed the pin into the lock, he twisted it,

"Where'd'you learn to do this?" Linda asked as Mello twisted it more violently,

"Matt taught me" he replied looking back to her as the door clicked and opened, Mello ran in followed slowly by Linda. Matt sat on the edge of the bed, Mello then hit him with a hug, "You never do that again okay? Never!" he said pulling away,

"Yeah, I'm sorry Mel's, I don't know what came over me" Matt said, tears starting to form in his eyes, Mello sighed happily and then kissed Matt gently, Linda stopped dead in her tracks,

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh" she then said realising everything she'd missed…


	8. Chapter 8

At lunch the same day they all sat around the same table all laughing,

"So how'd'you figure it out Near?" Linda asked,

"Well, it just clicked, Mello cares about Matt, that was obvious, and the only person opposite enough to Matt in this place, is, well, Mello" he finished,

"Well, I guess, you were, right" she replied begrudgingly,

"Oh, but guys, it would be appreciated if you didn't tell anyone about me and Matt, I mean, it's a secret okay?" Mello asked,

"Yeah, course" Linda replied,

"Thanks" Matt smiled, as he hadn't done in days,

"Oh, and don't mention the crying if you don't mind Linda" Mello laughed,

"What crying?" Near asked with a sweet smile…


End file.
